Wednesday, July 8, 2015

10 Health Bloggers You'll Love

So many health blogs, so little time. That’s why we scoured the internet and selected the healthy-living voices that are truly worth your clicks. A sometimes foulmouthed ob-gyn, a neuroscientist-slash-foodie, a writer struggling with mental illnessthese passionate folks bring unique perspectives and well-tested wisdom to their subjects. And, above all, their feeds are just plain great reads. Get ready to hit “follow”!

Best weight-loss inspiration blog: Diary of an Aspiring Loser Maintainerdiaryofanaspiringloser.com
Divorce, raising two kids and the occasional fall into a vat of cheese puffs haven’t derailed Michelle Funez’s efforts to get healthy. What makes her blog so inspiring isn’t just her fitness feats (triathlons!) but her journey to self-acceptance.Words of wisdom: In a slump? Go to the gym and do nothing (or almost nothing). “It’s maintaining the routine that’s important.”

Best dose-of-reality blog: Dr. Jen Gunterdrjengunter.wordpress.com
In her twitter profile pic, ob-gyn Jennifer Gunter, MD, is dressed as wonder woman, and boy does she wield the lasso of truth. Dr. Gunter dispenses straight talk on vaccines, explains why vagina facials shouldn’t be a thing and assesses popular sex advice.Words of wisdom: Want to try doughnut-enhanced fellatio? It’s safe, but avoid cinnamon, as it can cause contact dermatitis.

Best breast cancer blog: Invasive duct talesinvasiveducttales.com
Last year, Heather Lagemann found a lump while breast-feeding her infant daughter, was quickly diagnosed with cancer and underwent a double mastectomy and chemotherapy. Lagemann’s irreverent humor stands out: Yes, there is her account of discussing her illness with her older daughter, but there’s also her admission that she played the “cancer card” to avoid cooking for Thanksgiving.Words of wisdom: Newly diagnosed? “it’s okay to be scared, sad, angry, confused, and generally not so sunny…don’t let the pressure of being a ‘good’ cancer patient drown you.”

Best healthstyle blog: Summer Tomatosummertomato.com
Neuroscientist Darya Rose, PhD, shares easily digestible info about how and why we make food and exercise decisions. In a typical post, she’ll detail the brain’s reward circuits or explain the problems of short-term diets. And don’t miss her healthy recipes!Words of wisdom: To form a good habit, you need to like it. “If your new activity provokes a negative or even neutral emotional response it probably will not stick. So yes, you’re going to have to learn to enjoy being thinner and healthier.”

Best behind-the-stethoscope blog: Reflections of a Grady doctorgradydoctor.com
Atlanta internist Kimberly Manning, MD, offers a window into life at a public hospital: the terror when a baby is born at around 21 weeks, her reaction when a colleague used the word retard. Dr. Manning, who is black and couldn’t have practiced at Grady Memorial 50 years ago, also writes about race, often through the lens of her two young sons.Words of wisdom: Your definition of “having it all” is the only one that matters.

Best mental illness blog: Bipolar burblenatashatracy.com
Former skydiver Natasha Tracy knows about burbles, low-pressure pockets of air that can make you crash. For Tracy, who has bipolar disorder, that unstable place is a metaphor for her state of mind.Words of wisdom: Having a mental illness doesn’t make you a freak. “No matter who you are, no matter what you’re going through, you are not alone. Believe me, this much I know is true.”

Best natural-home blog: Wellness mamawellnessmama.com
This doula and mother of five writes about real food and natural products, with a focus on homemade options from shampoo to detergent to dog food.Words of wisdom: No need to go completely green overnight. “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” she writes.

Best infertility blog: Silent sororitysilentsorority.com
Like fertility treatment itself, infertility blogs can be very procedural. Instead, Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos shares the reality of handling the stigma of infertility and living a full life outside of parenthood.Words of wisdom: “Fertility medicine can’t cure infertility for all. Not all women and men possess the capacity to conceive regardless of how hard they try, and some simply time out. There is no shame in that.”

Best quackwatch blog: Science-based medicinesciencebasedmedicine.org
This blog’s editorsincluding a breast surgeon and a neurologisttake a rigorously scientific stand on medical issues. They offer a balanced look at hot topics like gluten sensitivity and milk alternatives, plus occasionally stinging critiques of the efficacy of alternative therapies.Words of wisdom: “Think about itwe can prevent cancer with a vaccine,” writes founder Steven Novella, MD, in support of the HPV vaccine. “This [issue] is a no-brainer.”

Best c'mon, get happy blog: Gretchen Rubingretchenrubin.com
The author of the runaway best-seller The Happiness project, Rubin offers appealingly nonsaccharine tips for finding joy and reducing discontent, rooted in serious research and plenty of testing (on herself).Words of wisdom: For an immediate boost, fake a smile. Studies suggest that acting happy can make you feel happy.

Top tweetersFive of our favorite feeds (besides our own @goodhealth handle, of course).

@DebbyHerbenick
Sex researcher and author Debby Herbenick, PhD, tweets about her topics of interest, including which condoms run big or small and whether coconut oil is a good lube. Warning: possibly NSFW!

@YoniFreedhoff
The director of the Bariatric medical institute in Ottawa, Ontario, and author of The Diet Fix, Yoni Freedhoff, MD, doesn’t only weigh in on obesity and nutrition topics. He also shares interesting articles about other health matters, such as breast-feeding in public and the lack of science behind homeopathy.

@Medgadget
Doctors and medical engineers run this crazily comprehensive feed about the latest medical gadgets, technologies and discoveries, from a scanner that detects bed sores before they break the skin to ultra-high-tech acne management.

@SusannahFox
Public health expert Susannah Fox is the person to follow for feeling good (instead of guilty) about your use of social media: She tweets about how online communicationplus data and technologycan be used to support health.

@BreneBrown
Texas researcher and best-selling author Brene Brown, PhD, studies shame, vulnerability and authenticity; her TED talk on courage is one of the most popular ever. In her feed, Dr. Brown shares small bites of inspiration to live a brave life.